Sunday, December 27, 2020

#1 Weapon Of Your Enemy


The pastor at the Christmas Eve service this year said a recent poll completed suggested the #1 thing people fear most is.....wait for it....Fear of Rejection.

It was a surprise to me that Rejection beat out fear of Death, Pandemic, Rioting and Elections for that #1 position. But then again, no it didn't.

I have felt the sting and fear of rejection much like you  have at some point in your life. Truth be told, I have felt it quite recently. It's a flaw and weak-spot in the armor of my soul. I know this about myself and I also know that I'm not the only one who knows about this weakness of mine. My enemy, Satan, is also acutely aware. Matter of fact, he knows my weaknesses better than I do.....and that's where he targets his arrows.

In war, it's always important for each side to know the other sides weakest point when strategizing a battle plan. The enemy won't attack where you have the most reinforcement and have the strongest front line. They'll always target the least obvious.....least protected....and easiest to break through areas of our character. And that's what Satan does to us. He observes us....he forms a battle plan....discovers where we are weakest and attacks us from that angle.

Because he knows if he can break through that barrier, he can attack you from within.

So build up those unprotected areas of yourself....."Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8). Remember; we are weakest when he convinces us we are walking alone.

Fear of Rejection. Recognize it when you see it. It's a #1 weapon of your enemy.

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about YOU." 1 Peter 5:7
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 1:05 AM 0 comments

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Joy In The Waiting

Soooo....about 7 years ago, my church in Mt. Vernon graciously asked me to throw some words each week on the back of the church bulletin. Recently, I had several people ask me to repost one of those articles I wrote from 12-12-16 about Joy, something so many of us are missing this difficult year of 2020. So friends, here it is. I hope during this Advent Season....a season of Anticipation as we Wait....Wait for Emmanuel, God With Us, that you can also find Him waiting for you today.

It was Monday a week ago. 4:00 am.

I woke straight out of bed.....fear gripped every fiber of my being just as it has many mornings these past 12 months.....fear of things I have no control over....fear of drowning.....fear of floods....fear of being weak.....fear of everything.

By the time I turned the Keurig on at 4:05 that morning, tears were pouring out of my eyes and....these are hard words for me to admit to you....I felt alone. So very alone. I couldn't hear or feel God anywhere near me. I felt the unanswered "why's" of my life pushing down on my shoulders and, by-the-way, wasn't I suppose to be feeling "Peace On Earth" right now three weeks before Christmas? Was Joy just a sick joke?

I plug into my iTunes......choose my Christmas playlist....when suddenly the song, "Word of God, Speak" starts playing. That's not on my Christmas playlist I remember thinking. And as I listened to the words,

"I'm finding myself at a loss for words..... The last thing I need is to be heard..... But to hear what You would say..... Word of God SPEAK... Would You pour down like rain, Washing my (crying) eyes to see Your majesty.... To be still and know that You are in this place."

The weight of worry began leaving me and I knew He had just spoken to my tears and fears through the words of this song and I knew He was here.....patiently waiting on me to see Him.

We talked....a lot....for over an hour about these fears....this weight of the loneliness through the tough times that I was feeling. And exactly two minutes after I said, "Amen", I received this text from a friend who knew nothing about my struggles:

"Good Morning my dearest friend. I just wanted to give you a friendly reminder that you are never ever alone. I was spending time in the Lord's presence this morning and all I could think about was you. God must have something beautiful for you, and He wants you to stay encouraged. I love you... Have a great day!" K

Jesus whispers there is always hope. It doesn't matter how dark the dark is, a Light can still dawn...and here's the spoiler alert: That gift from God that is wrapped up tight with your name on it.....Joy is inside.
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 8:20 AM 0 comments

Monday, December 7, 2020

What If?

What If? 

A few years ago, I took a friend's little kid to the mall about this time of year to see Santa. The line was long, the crying was loud, the frustration was thick in the air as tired children stood in line to sit on Santa's lap and tell him all the things they dreamed of getting for Christmas. You know, those things they tear through on Christmas morning only to toss aside for the next gift. 

 I had a lot of time to think as we stood in line that day.  I watched as each kid was given maybe a total of 2 minutes to collect their thoughts, wipe their tears and whisper to Santa their biggest wishes. Mom just wanted the picture so they could have it for the kid's wedding video 20 years later and Santa just wanted to do "his time" and scoot on over to Starbucks to get a Cinnamon Dolce Latte. It was sad, really. 

 But I thought; what would this look like if, instead of a tired Santa, we had an exuberant Jesus sitting on that red velvet throne in the mall? I imagined, in this very imaginative brain of mine, it would look a little something like this: 

 As the bashful child approached Jesus, He would put His hands out welcoming this child in a calming, loving way, calling them by name. The child....a child He made....would slowly and cautiously approach Him. Their eyes would be locked on each other...there would be no crying....no temper-tantrum....just unspoken love between the two of them. As they hopped on Jesus' lap, He would whisper something only that child knew, proving He knew everything about them. He would first ask the child, "What are you thankful for this Christmas, my child?" followed by "If I could give you anything in this world, what would it be?" I don't know if the kid would say an Xbox or Barbie Dream Home as they had planned to say, but I kinda doubt it. This Santa was different. 

 A wonderful picture in our heads, right? A reality....probably not. At least, not in the mall. But this can be reality at our churches at Christmastime...on the Squares in our little towns....in our homes. What a wonderful way to teach our children and grandchildren that Christmas isn't about the Cinnamon-Dolce-Latte-Santa who just wants Christmas to be over with already....but rather, the Man who is our "reason" for celebrating. Celebrating the One who was born to rescue his tired, frustrated, and yes, worried people. 

 Give the kids the REAL Santa.....His name is Jesus Christ.
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 5:50 AM 0 comments

Sunday, November 22, 2020

God's Gracious Grace

 


About a month ago, I was meeting some friends for dinner in Sulphur Springs.  It was a little over an hour's drive from where I now live and I was, as usual, running late.  I got tangled in traffic and was frustrated that my friends were waiting on this habitually late friend named Liz. 

As I reached Sulphur Springs and a few blocks from the restaurant half an hour late, I look in my rear view mirror and see flashing lights behind me.  "Well dangit" I said...."just what I needed right now!"  The police officer walked up to my window where I had my information ready and waiting for him so as to hurry the process along, when he wanted to chit-chat about why I was in such a hurry.  I explained I was late to dinner with friends and apologized profusely  for my crime.  The scowl on his face indicated to me that there was no getting out of this ticket. 

As he returned a few minutes later with his ticket-pad in hand, he paused...looked at his pad...looked at me....and started scribbling something on the ticket.  He then shockingly said, "I made a mistake on your speed.  Slow down and have a nice evening" and started walking away.  What?  As he walked back to his squad car, I hung out the window and said, "What does this mean?"  He once again said, "I made a mistake. Slow down.  Have a nice evening."  As I pulled away, I remember I was still flinging these 60-year old arms out the window thanking him profusely for his forgiveness.

It reminded me a bit of Colossians 2:14: "He canceled the record of the charges against us (you and me) and took it away by nailing it to the cross."  Much like this police officer, God found a way to deal with my daily, often-times hourly, mistakes.  He couldn't overlook them; to do so would be unjust.  He can't pretend I didn't commit them; to do so would be a lie.  But here is what He did do: God found a person with a spotless past.  He had never broken a law.  Not one violation, not one trespass, not even a speeding ticket.  He volunteered to trade records with me....to put His own name on my record.  Even though I did wrong, He put my crime on Himself and gave me His spotless record.

The perfect record of God's Son, Jesus, was given to me, Liz Etheridge....and to YOU (place your name here).  And our imperfect record was given to Him.  And what did He do with my poor driving record?  He canceled my debt, which listed all the rules I failed to follow,  just like Mr. Police Officer took the blame for my speeding crime.

But God NAILED IT TO THE CROSS...and gave you His perfect record.

 

*Excerpt from Max Lucado book, "Grip of Grace"

Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 8:48 AM 0 comments

Sunday, November 15, 2020

"In everything God works for the good of those who love Him"


 

Four years ago, after the election of Donald Trump, I wrote this in my journal:

"I have a prediction. I know exactly what tomorrow will bring. Another day of God’s perfect authority. He will still be in charge. His throne will still be occupied. He will still manage the affairs of the world. Never before has His providence depended on a king, president, or ruler. And it won’t start tomorrow."

"The LORD can control a king’s mind as He controls a river; He can direct it as He pleases." 
— Proverbs 21:1 NCV"

Fast forward 4 years to 2020...the most bizarre year most of us have ever lived through. And the year isn't over yet. We still have 46 days to go before we can turn the page from this crazy-mixed-up-off-the-wall year. And we are being told Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will most likely be our next presidents.

Although its no secret I didn't cast my vote for Joe Biden, I will support this man if indeed he is deemed my next president. I will treat his supporters with the respect I would of a good friend. I will not call them names. I will not curse at them. I will not think ill of them because they see things differently than me. Because I am told if I love God, I can't help but love my neighbor.....even when we disagree.

As thousands marched through the streets of downtown Dallas with me yesterday with our flags held high simply there to ask for fair voting, I saw people standing on the sidelines cursing at us, flipping us off, making rude gestures with their bodies and FULL OF HATE. And I heard many marchers saying back to these very same people, "God loves you".

“By this all will know that you are My people, if you have love for one another.” 
~ John 13:35

We are a divided nation....always have been, just not as obvious as it is today...and most likely, it's only going to get worse. But don't forget; God's still in charge of how this plays out and the true test of a Christ-follower is how we respond to those we disagree with....whether you voted right or you voted left.

"I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your TRUE selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty." 
~ Matthew 5:43 MSG

And one last thing, let's imitate Jeremiah. Lift up your eyes. Dare to believe that good things will happen. Dare to believe that God was speaking to us when He said:

"In everything God works for the good of those who love Him". 
— Romans 8:28"
 

 
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 9:09 AM 0 comments

Sunday, November 8, 2020

We Hear Him In His Whisper

 NOTE:  I wrote this article below about three years ago for our church bulletin.  It's been a noisy week in our country and I thought we all could use a little less screaming and a whole lot more listening.  Enjoy.

 




WE FIND HIM IN THE WHISPER

When I was in my mid-20's, I taught a Sunday School class full of  5-year-olds.  It was the Kindergarten class at our church and I felt with my limited knowledge of Bible stories, it was the perfect place for me to be.

However, I found out that 5-year-olds don't sit still...and they aren't quiet....and they have an attention span of about 3 seconds.  Having never had children and being the youngest in my family, this was shocking news to me.  I found myself each week frustrated and wondering how to either talk fast enough to get my point in the 3 seconds before their attention moved elsewhere, or increase the volume of my voice to where they could hear nothing but me.  Unfortunately, this dog-and-pony show went on for better than a year and didn't work.

So I decided to have a special guest speaker come in and tell the kids a story.  I needed the break, but so did the Kindergartners.  As the kids were busy taking their shoes and socks off, messing up the kids' hair next to them, thumping their foreheads repeatedly, the storyteller, a petite woman named Sammie, started telling her story. Actually, she whispered her story.  I found myself in the back of the room leaning in....desperate to hear what she was saying...and so did the kids.  The room, for the first time ever, was quiet.  They were still.  They were leaning in to hear what Sammie had to say.  She had taught us all the SECRET to listening.


“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and  shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.   After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the  earthquake.

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”  (NIV) 1 Kings 19:11-12

In the words of the great writer Mark Batterson, "When someone speaks in a whisper, you have to get very close to hear.  We lean toward a whisper, and that’s what God wants. The goal of hearing the Heavenly Father’s voice isn’t just hearing His voice; it’s intimacy with Him.

That’s why He speaks in a whisper."

Awwww...there it is!  God could intimidate us with His outside voice, but He woos us with a whisper.   And His whisper is the very breath of life.

Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:35 AM 0 comments

Sunday, November 1, 2020

My Friend Dub

 


This is my friend Dub.

Dub was the son of one of my Meals on Wheels clients back when I lived at the lake. He was one of three siblings who adjusted their lives to stay with their mom Jewel so she could remain in the comfort of her home instead of going to a nursing home. Each month, he and his two sisters and their cousin Sandy would pull the family calendar out and decide who stayed with mom which week that month. In the 12 years I knew Jewel, this happened each month.

I instantly fell in love with this entire family......and they loved me back.

When Jewel passed away in late 2016; two weeks prior to arriving at her 110th birthday, (yep, you heard me right....she lived to be almost 110!!), these same siblings, cousin and I decided we needed to keep our friendship alive and going by meeting for lunches every 6 weeks or so, and our love for each other became even stronger. So much so, they called me their sister and they were now considered my siblings. Jewel would have been over-the-moon happy we all stayed together.

Dub was the only male....surrounded by 4 laughing and crazy females.....and if you were to ask him, he would tell you he wouldn't have it any other way. He loved being the only guy.....

In the past four years of our "Family Lunch Dates", three out of the five of us lost our spouses; Dub included. And it was this Clay family who wrapped their arms around each other, and me, during those hard times as if by doing so, made us one strong unit together. I can't imagine my life without this family. Truly, a hand-wrapped gift from God straight to me.

Last week, we met for our usual beans and cornbread lunch at one of the sister's houses. Now that I live in the Dallas area and so does Dub, we rode to East Texas together. Their was no empty air space in the Jeep on that 4-hour ride as we both were talking at the same time about everything. He held my hand most of the way home as I drove us back to Dallas late Saturday.

But Tuesday night, I got a call. A call that Dub had died suddenly and unexpectedly a few minutes earlier. An aneurysm. He had been the picture of health....even though he was in his early 80's, he had the health of a much younger man. My mind, and heart, still can't process our friend and brother is gone. He was suppose to live to be 110.

And I'm reminded by this sudden and unexpected exit from this world of ours that we never know when that last grain of sand called our-life-on-this-earth will fall from the hourglass of time. We were never promised tomorrow....just this moment we're standing in right now.....and what we do with this moment is all that matters. How we live our lives.....what we do with the time we are given...and most importantly, Who we put our trust in.

Live life fully....Love deeply and make sure, friends, that your last day on this earth becomes your first day in Heaven. It's the only thing that matters.

 
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 8:18 AM 0 comments

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Just Believe....

Just Believe
liz etheridge


Right out of college, I went to live with my sister and her husband while I looked for a job. It was winter and we had decided to head to Oklahoma for a day of shopping. I know...that part of the story doesn't even make sense....shopping = Oklahoma??...I know. As we were heading home that night, it started to snow....like blizzard snow and you could barely see the unfamiliar country roads ahead of us. I was scared to death....and not being a particularly active prayer warrior at that time in my life, I started negotiating with God in the backseat of that AMC Spirit my brother-in-law was driving. I promised Him I would pay tithe for the rest of my life....without fail.....if He would rescue us from this scary mess we were in.

He did...I didn't.

Have you ever found yourself negotiating with God....bartering with Him when you get in a pickle....."Lord, if You get me out of this mess I'm in, I promise to go to church every-single-Sunday-without-fail-and-sometimes-on-Wednesday-too"?

When I read the story of the dude named Jairus in Mark 5, I couldn't help wondering if I would have started the negotiation process had I been in his shoes. Jairus was a very important man, the head-honcho of his church at the time.....which is like the mayor, principal and pope all rolled into one.....and he was desperate. Desperate enough he could have offered the temple key to Jesus in return for healing his daughter.....

But he came to Jesus, much like a poor, blind man standing on the corner begging for a gift:

“My little daughter is at the point of death.
Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” (Mark 5:23)

He doesn't barter or try to negotiate with Jesus. He doesn't haggle and remind Jesus how important a man he is. He just pleads. A scared, desperate father pleading for the life of his daughter just as you or I would do. And Jesus says to him, "Don't be afraid, Just Believe."

JUST-BELIEVE. 
 Two simple words that brought life to a 12-year old girl.....
and brings life to you and I when we JUST BELIEVE.

Maybe....just maybe....Jesus' reason for raising this sweet little girl from the dead wasn't for her sake - but for our sake now - to teach us that heaven sees when we Trust and Believe.


Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:00 AM 0 comments

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Do Not Worry About Your Life

 


 "One morning, Death was walking into a city when a man stopped him and asked what he was doing. Death answered, “I’m going into the city to kill 10,000 people.” The man replied, “That’s terrible that you would kill 10,000 people.” Death responded, “Taking people when their time has come is my job. Today I have to get my 10,000.” Later, as Death was coming out of the city, the man met him. Again, he was furious. He said, “You told me this morning that you were going to take 10,000 people, but 70,000 died today.” Death answered, “Don’t get mad at me. I only took 10,000. Worry killed all the rest.” (1)

W-O-R-R-Y.

My friend, Beatrice was a 92 year old worry-all-the-time lady on my Meals on Wheels route. She worried she was going to have a stroke one day....she worried about who called on her phone and hung up.....she worried about when the trash truck was going to show up, and she worried about her doctor firing her. Beatrice was the most worrisome person I'd ever met.

And yet, she had a great and deep love for the Lord. This - I - know.
She just has a problem with trusting Him.

And don't we all! We worry we'll catch the Coronavirus. We worry who will be our next President. We worry it won't be the one we voted for. We worry whether we'll have a job next month and we worry we'll forever have to wear a mask. Being a recovering worrier myself, I'm learning how to replace that space within me that's been reserved for Worry....with Trust. It's like when my granddaughter Brie was little. She would stand on her bed, arms stretched out wide, and say, "Lele, I'm going to jump into your arms and you're going to catch me, right, Lele?" She showed her trust in me by taking that leap off the bed and into my arms. And I never dropped her.....not once.

It's the same with God. He simply asks us to trust Him.....to catch us when we jump off the cliff of sorrow, anxiety, and worry. And when we do....He catches us. Those great big strong nail-scarred arms are outstretched as if to say, "I love you THISSSSS much" and He catches us as we trustingly fly through the air to His waiting arms. And He never drops us....no, not once.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or what you will drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Matthew 6:25

1 Haddon W. Robinson
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:01 AM 0 comments

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Kill Them With Kindness In This Covid World

 It finally happened this week.  

 


After 2-1/2 months of living in the city, I heard someone say to me, "WOULD YOU MIND?? (Insert irritated-snarly-voice-with-attitude-in-an-ugly-gym-outfit).  YOU'RE TOO CLOSE TO ME!".  I may, or may not, have rolled my eyes and then gave her a great big ol' East Texas smile under that paper mask of mine as I snapped a picture of her.

Yep, I was anxiously standing in line at Trader Joe's for my very first inaugural visit when this skinny chick-who-looked-like-a-man turned and barked these words at me.  Startled, I stepped back a foot.  Truth be told, I couldn't have been any closer than 5'11" from her skinny rear-end.  I have mastered an impeccable way of visually measuring the 6' between me and the person in front of me these past few Covid months.  I simply visualize a 6' man laying on the ground between us. 

I'm pretty sure it works most every time.

But in all honesty, most people in my short time of returning to the city have been nice....polite....and respectful.  Most everyone in East Texas told me the city people would eat me alive.  That hasn't been the case, but there is a big part of Liz that is missing the human-ess (not a word....don't bother to look it up) of living in the country.  The Grace that comes as easy as breathing or acknowledging or even...(gasp)...speaking kindly to strangers in the grocery store aisle or, heaven forbid, hugging during a pandemic, is missing  here.  Strangers generally don't speak to you here in the city unless they're telling you to BACK AWAY.  And that is why I am making it my mission to look them straight-in-the-eye and startle them with conversation and a smile...and to see the person who is inside their skin.

“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior:
Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them!
Luke  6:31
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:40 AM 0 comments

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Ashes To Ashes....Dust To Dust

 



“All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return”
Ecclesiastes 3:20

This week, I loaded up the Jeep; threw in two wonderful girlfriends, and headed west to Pikes Peak.  It was something I've put off doing for almost two years....and for some reason, NOW was the right time.  I wanted; no..no....needed....for Chuck's earthly body to be set free.  We climbed 14,000 feet into the sky....14,000 feet closer to Heaven....and released Chuck Etheridge's body back to the earth.

Before we headed west, I placed his ashes into three small toolboxes he had used for as long as I knew him.  I know it sounds crazy, but if you knew Chuck, this would make sense.  As each of us opened up our tool boxes on Pikes Peak, we watched as the winds returned him back to where he came.  I find it interesting that his favorite things while on this earth came from his tools...tools that repaired and restored broken things, and God...well, He also is in the business of repair and restoration of broken things.  He wants to repair us and our pasts by giving us a future.

We said goodbye to his body this week, but not his soul...and our hearts are happy to not hang onto the memory of Chuck as people who have no hope, but rather, as people who know and trust in a future healthy body for Chuck someday. 

"But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who have died,
so that you may not grieve like other people who have no hope."
1 Thessalonians 4:13
 

 
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 9:14 AM 46 comments

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Dust To Dust

 


 
Death. 
 
It's been a week of goodbyes. We said our final goodbyes to my dear friend Terri Ruyle this past weekend.  A beautiful young soul who I loved deeply and dearly. She ministered to me....she placed her Wonder Woman bracelet from her wrist to mine at my lowest point several years ago to remind me to be Strong and Courageous through the struggles. That I was stronger than I thought I was.....and I returned it back to her wrist a year later during her own struggles. I will miss her every day till I see her again.

And today, I leave for Colorado...a road trip with two girlfriends, to take Chuck's ashes to be spread by the winds of Pikes Peak.

"All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust, all return." 
Ecclesiastes 3:20.

I fully believe that Chuck's soul is celebrating with God right now, but that broken down body of his that provided his means of transportation through this life on earth, I will return it to the earth it came from that maybe, in some small way, will help the earth by its return to it. It feels right to be doing this....as it never belonged to us. It always belonged to God. He formed man from the dirt of this earth and breathed life into it...He created Chuck. So its only fitting that once He removed breath from Chuck, that we would return his ashes back to the earth in which it came.

I am grateful that God entrusted ME with managing this return. So I will call this road trip, "The Return".

I am blessed to have had the gift of Terri and Chuck on my journey through this life....and have the assurance I will one day see them again.
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:05 AM 0 comments

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Without Thorns, There Would Be No Roses

"The enemy would have us be so blind by the pain of the thorn that we can't see the beauty of the rose garden.  Look past the thorn - His grace is enough for the thorn He chooses not to remove."

 

 
Every Wednesday evening, several neighbor women grab their lawn chairs and sit out in the cul-de-sac, 6 feet apart of course, and chat about what's happening on the block.  Usually, we're trying to figure out how to lower the population of rabbits in our neighborhood or the cost of artificial grass, but this past Wednesday, I happened to glance to my left and saw this crazy amazing sunset happening right next to us.  Living in the city now, it's not always easy to see sunrises and sunsets and boy do I miss that part of living at the lake!  But that day, it was like God handed me a beautifully wrapped gift straight-up from Him!

I jumped up, ran to the center of the cul-de-sac to see it better (barefooted) and immediately felt my big toe bend backwards as I stumped it on the concrete.  Goodness.  As bad as it hurt, I limped my way to the house to grab my cell phone and not miss capturing this quickly dissolving sunset.....in a great deal of pain I might add. 

I tell you my stumped-toe-story because sometimes pain is required to see the beauty in this journey we all are on.  And much like the thorn on a rose bush, without it, there would be no roses.  

Truth is, none of us know what the words on the next page of our life story is yet.....we have no idea what stands just ahead of us....around that corner we can't see around....but we always know that God does.  He may not reroute us around the mess ahead, but He will definitely walk through it with us.  That's a promise. And where there's God, there's always beauty...and yes, some painful stumped toes as well.

It's scary...I won't lie.  Life is so very real.....real in a way its never been real before, and although I don't fear the future, I want to slow down and approach it cautiously.  I want to be sure I've stuck my hand out for Him to grab and walk this journey with me.  He's the only One who knows the danger around the next corner.

You'll never see the roses and only feel the thorns if you walk your road without Him.  Put your hand in His and travel it together.  And check out those amazing sunsets as He places a band-aid on your stumped toe.


 



Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:54 AM 0 comments

Sunday, September 13, 2020

Words Can Kill

"Just because you've drawn the drapes, doesn't mean the sun isn't still out there." 
 

I lost a best friend last night.  She had drawn the drapes because she could no longer see the sun.  She no longer felt the warmth of it hitting her face and infusing her with Hope and Peace...and she felt the weight of this world crushing her....no longer able to breathe.  
 
 
It doesn't make sense.  And the only comfort I have is that I know....without an ounce of doubt....that she is finally able to breathe again.  She is no longer carrying the rocks of despair up the mountain she had been struggling to climb.  She is Home.  She is Healed.  And I will see her again soon.  This I'm positive of.  I pray for her family as they desperately try to put the pieces of their lives back together without her.  I pray for myself as I continue to ask "Did I do enough?"
 
 
I will never forget Terri Ruyle.  She was the one who texted me in the middle of the stormy nights after we flooded saying, "I know you're awake and I know you're scared of the storms, Liz.  I'm here.....praying for you."  This happened more times than I can count.  But did I pray enough for her when she was in the middle of her storm?
 


And that's a question we all must ask of ourselves.  


"Earth Has No Sorrow
That Heaven Can't Heal"
 
 




Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:55 AM 0 comments

Sunday, September 6, 2020

The Mystery of Grace

 THE MYSTERY OF GRACE

liz etheridge

 

A few years ago, my brother, sister and I made a trip to our grandparent's old home place in a tiny town in the center of Alabama. It had been years since any of us had been back to this place we used to visit every summer....and in all honesty, it was never a place I loved going. The crickets were huge, there was no running water, baths were taken in the river and an outhouse was not a place you wanted to visit in the middle of the night.


My grandparents owned 200 acres of pine trees.....oh ya....and a creek that ran right through the middle. For as long as I can remember, my grandfather in his striped overalls and his train engineer cap, along with my grandmother in her long dress with an apron....yes...always with an apron....would drive the old pickup truck down to Blue Creek and pan for gold with their grandchildren hanging out the bed of the truck. For my siblings and cousins, this was like going to Disneyland. For Liz, it was pure torture. 
 

 
But along the orange-clay dirt road to the creek, we would always pass an old Methodist church with a cemetery next to it. My grandparents would eventually be buried in that very cemetery and the memory of a bee flying up my niece's skirt during my grandmother's graveside service will always be with me. But the thing about that old Methodist church I will remember the most is driving by it on Sundays and hearing the black people singing from the top of their lungs. Not a shy or embarrassed bone in their bodies......they loved the Lord and they wanted everyone to know it.

And as we drove up that old orange-clay dirt road a few years ago, I SWEAR..I could still hear them singing. The church has long been abandoned, the windows broken out, the grass is taller than the tombstones and a mild wind could blow the walls down. But as I walked into this room full of memories, I found this old Methodist hymnal laying open on the floor, partially eaten by rats and among piles of old bulletins from 1979....opened to Page 285, "The Mystery of Grace". 
 

 
I smile as I think about that person who, so many years ago, set that hymnal down on the wood plank floor, just for me to find.

Aww....the Mystery of Grace.
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 8:15 AM 1 comments

Sunday, August 30, 2020

If Satan Can Neutralize You, He Can Mute Your Influence"

 "If Satan Can Neutralize You, He Can Mute Your Influence"

liz etheridge
 

 
"Let me be clear....you, (insert your name here), represent a challenge to Satan's plan. You carry something of God within you, something noble and holy, something the world needs - wisdom, kindness, mercy, skill."
Max Lucado

Have you ever wondered why Satan would mess with a Christian? I mean, if we are promised in John 10:28 that "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand", why would Satan waste his time on a Christian? He knows his time to gather followers here on earth is short, so why would he spend what little time he has on something he can't have...Christians?

"If Satan can neutralize you, he can mute your influence."

Awww, there it is...thank you, Max Lucado, for pointing out the obvious. When pain and strife continue to smack you in the face....when darkness falls all around you....when evil is creeping into the crevices of your soul, remember; if Satan can scare, discourage, depress and quiet you, he can STOP your influence.

It's a clever plan, really.....using shipwrecks in our lives....to stop our voices. But as Christians, we know its these shipwrecks we have survived, that can be the very life preserver that saves others. When we make it to the shore after our lives have crashed against the rocks, we are only then able to help resuscitate those in the throes of their own shipwreck.

Nothing explains this better than the story of Job in the Old Testament. Job's friends were the kind of friends we often are if we haven't suffered - they are more interested in explaining his plight to him than sitting with him in it. They're incapable of the compassion that would demand them to suffer with him. Because they themselves had not sat in the dirt of despair as Job had.

Don't let a shipwreck moment in your life go to waste. Use it. Tell others about it. Be vulnerable and wrap the life preserver of compassion and understanding around those who find themselves sinking from their own shipwreck.

You were rescued....to help rescue others.
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 8:15 AM 0 comments

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Coddiwomple

 

I ran across this word the other day and just loved how it sounded when it rolled off my tongue.  "Coddiwomple".   Try saying that five times real quick and see if you're aren't crazy about it too:  "Coddiwomple" "Coddiwomple" "Coddiwomple" "Coddiwomple" "Coddiwomple".   See what I mean!???

But even better than the cool word was the definition: 

"To travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination."

It reminded me of when Chuck and I traveled in the RV during the summers to get away from the brutal Texas heat.   The first year or so, the ever-planning Liz would have each destination planned, each RV park reserved and each route Google-Earthed. Truly, I was a maniac with the planning process.  But we discovered DURING the journey that we often didn't like the route we (Liz) had planned, or the RV park wasn't a good "fit" for us and Google Earth took the "fun" out of not knowing what was around the next bend.

We discovered we had a much better and happier time (and argued less!!) when we would sit at the RV dining table, pull out our trusty laminated truck stop map, close our eyes, drop our finger on a never-before-heard-of destination and then go there.  Our trip-planning never would have included Vernal, Utah, Spearfish, SD or Vacaville, CA had we not trusted our trusty blind finger.

I tell you this because our lives are so much like those fly-off-the-seat-of-your-pants RV trips.  We can plan every detail of our daily lives only to discover we don't care for the route its taking....or the place we're in....or the un-spontaneousness (is that even a word??) of our day-to-day grind.

I think of my friend Jay who walked across America last year...yep, from CA to the East Coast.  Took him five months and many pairs of shoes...but he rediscovered himself on that often difficult and unpredictable road.  He never knew each day what was waiting for him right around the next corner.  Was he going to be beat on by a hot summer sun or see a beautiful rainbow in a field of wildflowers?  Would he meet people who honked at him to get off the road or a new friend who wanted to give him a ride to the next town and buy him a meal?  

Its the same with our life here on earth....we have no idea what is down the road for next week or even the next hour.  But what we do know is we aren’t walking it alone.  God is walking beside us each step of the way, like a cheerleader cheering us on as we run this unpredictable race through earth striving for our forever Home.  But sometimes...we have to get off the safe and secure road to see the beauty in the journey.

"Don't Be Afraid That Your Life Will End.
Be Afraid That It Will Never Begin."

Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 4:59 PM 0 comments

Sunday, August 16, 2020

"Rabbits and Widows and Satan, Oh My! "

 

"Rabbits and Widows and Satan, Oh My! "
liz etheridge



Molly and I are ending Week 4 in our new home. 
 
TRUE CONFESSIONS: At times, it has felt like YEAR 4.

I'm not going to lie; this has been a hard move. Sometimes, painfully hard. My bank account would also concur this has been a throbbing four weeks, with unexpected roots in the plumbing....sprinkler valves going rogue...landlords being a major thorn-in-my-side...and missing my friends who had always been right down the East Texas country road to cry a few tears and share a coffee with. And yes...I've even questioned whether I heard God correctly to move here. In my heart there's no doubt....oh, but how Satan loves to mess with my mind!
My sister, Debbie, passed on some wise words to me as these things threatened to disarm me:

"If Satan can't make you sin, Liz, he can certainly make you suffer."

Ahhhh....the always wise words of my sister. She's right, you know. Satan knows he can't have us if we belong to God...but a quick read in the Book of Job will show us convincingly that he certainly can try to make our lives miserable. And sometimes...he succeeds.

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome,
because the One who is IN you (God) is GREATER than the one who is in the world (Satan) ." 
1 John 4:4

 

And the best way to combat the one who would seek to discourage and disarm us is to get that dusty and trusty old journal out and start numbering......documenting and making that list of all the things you're Thankful for. This simple practice is the secret to overcoming discouragement! My brother-in-law Doug reminded me of that one particularly difficult day shortly after Chuck passed away. And my son Troy handed me a book* a few weeks ago that gave me more tools which included repeating ten times a day, "If God be for you, Liz, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31). 
 
 But I am right where I'm suppose to be. Widow #13 on the block. I have been blessed to find a beautiful home, great neighbors, one Gladys Kravitz and thousands of rabbits. And those friends from East Texas and family members? Well, they've been showing up on my doorstep handing me doses of encouragement, reminders they still remember who I am and love me. They have helped me pack and unpack...given me a much needed massage when my muscles had tightened up and flown 3,000 miles to climb ladders in 100 degree heat to change out motion sensors to keep me safe. I am a blessed woman to have them walking next to me on this journey.
 

 
And you can bet....each of them are listed by name daily on my Thankful List to God. And I can see Him smile as He drops a blessing or two down on each of them for being the blessing in my life......

.... “Count your blessings and discover Who can be counted on.”
*The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
 

 
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 8:20 AM 0 comments

Sunday, August 9, 2020

PEACE

 


Peace
liz etheridge
 
(Originally written on ......)

"Promise you'll come and sit with me one afternoon---"

I received those words from my friend a few years ago.....a new widow. While I was battling fires in my own household, she was saying goodbye to her husband of many years and feeling anything but peaceful.....

"He was in ICU that week right after Christmas--with me praying for pneumonia! Have you ever heard of such a weird prayer?" she wrote.

"Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
 (Romans 5:1).

I've never understood why every time I hear the word "Peace", I think of death. I long for that day when God and I are walking along that River of Life.....chatting like the old friends we are....and I can actually feel His skin on my hand....I can touch the scars. I always cry when I close my eyes and think of that picture in my head...it's the picture of Peace.

"Please Lord, don't let it be small-cell." I stopped and thought--whoever in this world prays for cancer of any kind -- and then my next prayer was, "Please Lord, just let this be over!" My final prayer was for the funeral, "Let me make it through this day."

I could actually hear these words coming from her mouth as I read them...I could feel the pain deep in her soul....and my heart felt her distress. Peace and Hope were waffling at her door and threatening to leave the room....."We rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us..." (Romans 5:3-5).

"I'm flunking widowhood, Liz" she said.

And we know that Hope is the highway that gets our faith from point A to point B. It's what keeps us moving through whatever circumstances life throws at us. It's the secret sauce in our soul. He just wants us to wrap ourselves around Him, be silent and still, and go where He takes us.

No Jesus.....No Peace
Know Jesus......Know Peace

Peace Out
Posted by Liz Etheridge-Sekerke at 7:27 AM 0 comments
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